White Pillar

White Pillar

Contents

Gower

Hollow Top To Port Eynon

51.546657, -4.247710

TIDAL STATUS

3 hours either side of low-water. (You can climb here at high-water but is not advisable when there's a swell).

PREAMBLE

This is a truly pleasant and relaxed spot. All the routes start from a tidal platform, reached by scrambling round from the east. It is roughly triangular shaped with a vague groove at its apex, which is the finish of West Kante. The face is of good quality rock lower down, but with a bit of loose rock towards the top and is split by a series of overlaps. The most prominent feature is the sentry box at 5m, which is taken by West Kante. There is a huge ring peg at the top!

ACCESS

More people have gone looking for White Pillar and failed to find it than have actually climbed there. Confusing descriptions in some guidebooks haven't helped. White Pillar is Gower's most "out of the way" crag. No other crag is so far from a place to park the car.

It has been said that White Pillar can be seen from Boiler Slab. It cannot! However, if you stand on the little saddle a few metres from the southern end of Boiler Slab and look west you can just see the light coloured buttress of White Pillar some 903 m distant 'as the crow flies'.

The most reliable way to get to White Pillar for the first-time visitor is via Boiler Slab. From Boiler Slab follow the lower coast path west and either traverse around or go over the first headland. Continue eastwards to the next prominent headland, i.e. White Pillar. (1.6 miles from Overton)

The quickest way is via the "car park" at Pilton Green (51.561586, -4.242797 - SS 446871). Take the footpath from Pilton Green and take the coast path left (east). At a point due north and east of White Pillar, (see map at Hollow Top to Port Eynon access notes), strike southwards down a 'valley', double back to get to the east side of White Pillar at just above high-water level. (1.4 miles from Pilton Green)

DESCENTS

Descent is by scrambling down behind the east flank of the buttress.

THE ROUTES

Alex and Jayne on West Kante

1. 1. Crack And Slab 25m VD
   Climb cracks right of the left arete of the face to a ledge at 20m. Finish up the groove of West Kante.
   
   
2. 2. West Kante 25m S,4a **
   Climb to the obvious sentry box at 5m. Leave this via thin cracks to gain a broken groove. Follow this to a short slab below the headwall. Climb this direct to the prominent groove leading to the top.
   
   
3. 3. Grey Slab 27m S
   Start at thin cracks just right of West Kante. Climb to just below the obvious lower band of overlaps. Traverse right just under these until they terminate and step up to climb a groove. Where it gets loose towards the top, step left to finish up another groove.
   
   
4. 4. Sizzler 25m E1,5a
   Start at the next thin cracks below the left-hand side of the lowest band of overlaps. Climb to and through these with gear being awkward to place, then strike straight on up through the next bands to easier ground. Finish up the headwall.
   
   
5. 5. Bermuda Shorts 25m HS,4a
   Start right of Sizzler at a point below the groove bounding the right side of the middle overlap. Climb to the groove and follow it to the top.
   
   

First Ascents

1. J.Talbot 00.00.1967
2. J.Talbot 00.00.1967
3. J.Talbot 00.00.1967
4. J.Harwood 16.08.1987
5. J.Harwood 16.08.1987